Em & Ro
by Dimensional Lover
Summary: Emma Frost's arrival at the institute has caused ripples in the peaceful oasis Charles had established. The blonde was dating Jean Grey. Emma's biggest obstacle was the redhead's best friend Ororo. Femslash A deeper look into their polyamorous relationship and how it was established in my OMEGA story. There will be flashbacks / forward. Thank you OMEGA readers for feedback.
1. Team Player

**Title: ** Team Player

**Fandom:** X-Men Universe comics / movies

**Pairing:** Emma F. / Ororo M. / Jean G.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Notes:** This is in addition to my story OMEGA. It documents how the relationship between the three women grew. These are the things that weren't fully expressed or explained in OMEGA. The focus is on Emma and Ororo. There was so much about their relationship that I didn't think I had room for, so here it is. Fair warning there will be a few time leaps.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I do love them.

* * *

**Flashback 13 years ago...**

Xavier Institute's newest addition caused quite a stir since her arrival. The woman single-handedly destroyed a marriage that was long thought to be as stable as the pyramids at Giza, managed to alienate the entire team from her and one another, and practically caused Professor Xavier to have a mini stroke now having to rework the sex education curriculum to include differently orientated intercourse to field all the questions students now had seeing Jean and Emma together on campus. To say Emma Frost entered their lives with a bang would be an understatement.

If her attitude didn't turn off half the population at large her regular attire sure did the trick. Kitty once commented during a training meeting that she thought the scantly-clad blonde looked more like she was trying to screw for humanity rather than trying to save it. Emma's new girlfriend Jean Grey rather enjoyed her woman's sense of fashion. She liked the fact that whenever her lover walked into a room that every pair of eyes would zero in on the blonde like she was the only source of light in a dark cold world.

Jean had all but moved in with the woman when Charles decided to take Emma off her and Scott's team and move the blonde to team 7. The tension between the blonde and Scott Summers were palpable. He couldn't stand the sight of the smug arrogant expression she wore on her face, knowing she had stolen his wife from him. When either of them were in the same room together you could cut the intense rage coming off the red sunglass wearing X-man with a chainsaw and still not get all the way through it. The only thing that saved the team from completely imploding upon itself was Ororo. She'd always elegantly divert attention away from the blonde and get the group meetings back on track.

Emma found it irritating to say the least as she was beginning to look forward to her regular verbal bouts with her partner's soon to be ex-husband. She would have never admitted it, but up until that point Scott was the only person other than Jean, Charles, Ororo, and Hank who was willing to stand her presence longer than a few minutes.

The blonde's interest was piqued when Jean's best friend Ororo agreed to allow her onto her team. Ororo was an enigma to Emma. She wasn't convinced of the weather witch's regal, peaceful, generous, and nurturing demeanor. Everyone at the institute regarded the woman as some sort of saint, a Mother Teresa, Oprah Winfrey hybrid. The blonde found it hard to believe considering her encounters with Storm when she was still with the brotherhood. The weather goddess was so cold and aloof the blonde thought the woman's real last name could have been Frost, not to mention the woman's frightening anger, more than a few times Ororo had almost killed her in battle. The rumors of Ororo's indomitable will were beyond true, none of the blonde's psychic and psionic tactics worked on her.

Their shared past didn't stop Ororo from making several attempts to befriend her when she first arrived, but the blonde was having none of it. Like the time Storm tried to comfort her when Scott first returned to the institute. A few members of the team and quite a few students had gathered in the foyer to welcome him back. The blonde elected to stay at the top of the staircase as Jean went about her wifely duties greeting her husband after his self-imposed exile in the wilds of America after he had been freed from Apocalypse's possession.

Storm approached her from behind almost startling her she was so focused watching Jean's every move that she wasn't paying attention. Ororo softly placed her hand on the blonde's shoulder and spoke quietly. "Emma, you can pretend like you don't care about what's happening down there, but this wouldn't be easy for anyone to deal with. You two have gotten very close over the last few months. It's obvious that you care about her." The blonde adjusted her body shaking Ororo's hand off her shoulder. The white-haired woman took a deep breath and continued to speak as she saw the blonde's body stiffening from the unwanted physical contact. "Your apprehension toward me is warranted given our past altercations, but I can assure you that I hold no ill will toward you. You were doing your job and I was doing mine. But you are a member of the X-men now. If you need to talk about anything, my greenhouse door is always open."

Emma was fuming inside. How dare she think it was appropriate to touch her? She didn't need anyone's sympathy or pitiful attempts at half-hearted comfort. She turned to stare into Storm's sky blue eyes attempting to warn her away with her most arctic gaze. "I neither requested or appreciate your attempt at subterfuge. The rest of these morons may have fallen for your little act, but I won't. Don't lump me in with this little kumbaya puppet show Charles has going on here Munroe. I wear this X, but I'll never be one of you. I've seen who you really are and I'll thank you to stay out of my personal affairs from now on." The blonde turned her back on the woman as she quietly walked down the stairs diverting everyone's attention away from her telepathically. She knew Storm didn't really like her. It annoyed her that the woman kept trying to force a friendship on her that she could care less for. Jean was all she needed.

Why couldn't she just leave her be? There had to be another reason she was trying to get close to her. The blonde was a master of observation she had watched Ororo very carefully when she was around her so called best friend. Emma's PHD in psychology and hands on experience with the Hellfire Club had refined her skills so well that they could have easily been classified as a latent mutant ability. However she didn't need them to figure out what Ororo's real motives were. Her faux friend had feelings for the redhead, it was obvious to the blonde, even if Jean and the rest of the team chose not to see it.

The redhead would always tell her suspicious girlfriend, "Ro is my best friend, she's like a sister to me. There's really nothing for you to worry about Em. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." The blonde would just shrug it off but in the back of her mind it continued to nag at her.

~ _Hump, best friend, sister, yea right more like kissing cousins if you ask me._~ She thought to herself.

"What was that….?" Jean would ask. The blonde would simply shrug her shoulders and smile innocently at her girlfriend, silently admonishing herself for unconsciously projecting her thoughts.

* * *

The blonde's deductions were rarely wrong when it came to this type of thing. Emma trusted Jean with her heart that much was true, but she wasn't going to fool herself into thinking that Jean wouldn't leave her. Marital problems or not, everyone whether they were friend or foe knew about the marriage that had been forged by the god's themselves. It was thought to be unbreakable…..at least until Emma came along anyway. No one knew the redhead bisexual except maybe her 'best friend', but she couldn't be sure.

The blonde's irresistibility was obvious, she couldn't blame Jean for falling for her, but she had seen too many unfaithful spouses in her day. Of course she was always a willing participant in infidelity. In her mind the person's partner was their problem not hers, but now that she was on the other side of that equation watching her partner being so close to another person was putting her on edge.

It didn't help that said person was now her new team leader and required one on one meetings every week with her subordinates. Ororo nearly fried the woman during their first training exercise together. She claimed it was an accident, but the blonde knew better. Their first one on one meeting was short, but to her surprise she left feeling much more at ease with the woman than she had anticipated, besides she had succeeded in slightly unsettling her new team leader when the subject of the redhead was brought up.

"You've been interested in her for a long time." Emma said.

Ororo shakes her head and furrows her brow shocked by the statement as her heart begins to race. She clears her throat. "I'm not sure what you mean. Jean is my closest friend and an invaluable member of the team." The blonde continues to walk around the room not looking at her team leader. "That wasn't a question." She laughs to herself. "May I ask what you found to be so humorous?" Storm asks.

"Nothing at all. Your clitoria lilies are quite lovely, by way. You have quite the green thumb." Emma turns her body toward Storm as she examines the lilies. "Jean seems to be rather attached to you. She mentioned that she enjoys watching you work in your garden, said that you… taught her a few things." Azure eyes meet aqua orbs. "I'm sure your lessons are educational. I'd appreciate if you kept them to minimum. Jean's hands are being occupied elsewhere at the moment." The blonde walks back to her seat still holding Ororo's gaze.

Storm can hear the blonde's message clearly and decides to forego the pleasantries. "Jean is an adult. She knows how to manage her time appropriately. I suggest you talk to her about this. But since we are on the subject…..." Dark clouds gather around the institute and thunder begins to boom causing slight vibrations in the windows as Ororo leans forward a breath away from the blonde. Emma can feel static electricity in the air. "She cares for you deeply and thanks to you she's going to be under a lot of stress dealing with all the commotion around the institute. I could care less for your sophomoric insinuations. Jean is my best friend and it pains me knowing what she will be going through with her divorce. I'm very protective of her. If she ever tells me that you are following in Scott's footsteps, the Phoenix will be the least of your problems."

The blonde smirks dropping her eyes to Ororo's plump lips taking a breath through her nose then returning to her eyes. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind and don't worry about Jean's stress level, I'LL be giving her 'ALL' the therapy she needs from now on. Are we done here?" She says as she sits up straight no longer smirking. Ororo takes a deep breath through her nose and nods her head. Her heart is still racing. Emma stands and begins to walk out. She speaks as she walks through the greenhouse door. "I was informed that these weekly meetings are a requirement of your team membership. What is your schedule like next week?" She turns and waits for Ororo's response. Storm gives her head a quick shake composing herself clearing her throat. "Yes, I'm available Thursday evening." The blonde walks out the door. "I'll see you at 7 then, ta ta."

**The Greenhouse**

Emma arrived 15 minutes early for their appointment as was her custom for any meeting. She used it as an opportunity to catch her associates off guard. If they were disorganized and unprepared she wouldn't do business with them. She was even generous enough to give a few CEO's a second meeting. It was corporate suicide if they failed her test a second time.

She quietly tapped on Ororo's front door and got no response. It was clearly open but she wasn't fond of the place and decided to wait. She folded her arms across her chest and began to look around tapping her foot when a posted note with a piece of tape on it got stuck to her shoe. She reached down and picked it up.

_**Emma,**_

_**Please make yourself comfortable. I'll be up front in a few minutes. There is cucumber water on the table. Thank you for keeping our appointment.**_

_**Ororo.**_

The blonde gritted her teeth in irritation as she opened the door. Yet again her sensitive nose was assaulted by the scent of lavender and lilies when she walked through the door. She could already feel the onset of a headache; she wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. Walking to the side table she looks at the container of cucumber water. Jean always had some waiting for her at their apartment. It was her favorite but who knows what Ororo had done to it. She opted not to have any. Five minutes pass and she is aggravated with her team leader's lack of respect. Having no desire to raise her voice for fear of breathing in some unwanted pathogen in the air she walked to the back of the greenhouse seeing the silhouette of a woman behind a glass frosted door.

* * *

Knocking gently, she gets no response and decides to open it. A cool breeze of air with a calming gentle scent ruffles her golden locks. The sound of a generator turning on blares in her ears. She walks inside and sees Ororo bent over examining a flower. The blonde raises an intrigued eyebrow as her eyes unconsciously travel up her caramel team leader's body. She was wearing a white cashmere jumpsuit that accentuated every single one of her curves. The blonde couldn't help but smirk and cock her head slightly at the view from behind. Jean sure knew how to pick'em. "Emma, I'll be out in just a moment." Ororo says raising her wrist to look at her watch still examining the plant. "Our appointment isn't for another eight minutes. I do usually like to start early myself, but this night lily only blooms once a year and I have to collect its pollen at just the right moment. Would you mind helping me out and grab that small dropper near your shoulder?"

The blonde is startled out of her mental musings remembering her annoyance with the situation. "I'm no gardener Miss Munroe and I have more important things to do than play Johnny Appleseed with you all…-," The blonde is speechless when Ororo stands to her full height and turns to face her. Her hair was up in a high ponytail with long beautiful bangs falling over a pair of gorgeous professional use small framed Champagne Ivory Dolce and Gabbana glasses. The buttons on her suit were slightly undone revealing a tastefully teasing amount of cleavage.

She takes the glasses from her face and puts her hand on her hip, blowing her bangs from her face. "Consider this a requirement of your training Emma. My team must be ready to follow my orders no matter the situation. You don't have a problem with that do you?" The blonde rolls her eyes and picks up the dropper holding it out to Ororo. The caramel woman looks at it and turns to face the plant. "Come over here Emma. I want you to see something." The blonde reluctantly walks over and is handed a pair of glasses. "Here look at this." Ororo says examining the flower as it slowly opens.

Emma shakes her head puts on the glasses and looks at the flower. She was amazed. It looked like a beautiful starlit night sky. She was so enthralled that she moved her face closer she was a few inches from Ororo's cheek. Her caramel team leader softly smiled. "Slowly take the dropper and take a bit of the nectar from the center." It was incredible as soon as the pollen was removed all the little stars converged on the empty space. It looked like a small galaxy swirling in the center of the small blue flower.

The blonde's mouth was slightly agape as she watched in awe. Storm gently touched the blonde's wrist to get her attention as their eyes locked. They both felt their hearts flutter for a moment. Emma turned her eyes back toward the flower stood up and swallowed hard. Ororo slowly released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She also stood up holding out her hand as the blonde put the dropper in it. "This is how my team works Emma. We fill in whatever is lacking for one another. It won't work with just one person. Everyone must do their part."

The blonde rolls her eyes and takes off the glasses. "Yes, well telling me that would have been sufficient. There was no need for theatrics." Ororo took a deep breath and walked to a small freezer and put the dropper inside. She opened the greenhouse door and motioned for Emma to leave before her. "This isn't a show Emma. If you are going to be a useful member of my team, you have to learn to see beyond your old beliefs and understand that you are not alone anymore." She closes the door behind them and they walk toward the front of the green house. Storm walks over to the side table and pours herself some cucumber water as the blonde takes a seat. "You are going to need a change of clothing today."

The blonde sits up straight and crosses her legs as she examines her nails. "I don't think so. You did not make me aware of that ahead of time. So whatever you were planning needs to change, these are new pumps. I have no intention of ruining them." Ororo smirks as she pours another glass and hands it to Emma, who shakes her head no. She sits the glass on the table. "You and I are going to work in my garden today." The blonde sits with her hand on her knee and looks into Storms eyes taking a deep breath. She was beyond annoyed.

"That is completely out of the question. It was my understanding that these meetings were to be one on one conversations about teamwork, truth, justice, and whatever insipid values you people discuss in your free time." Ororo lids her eyes staring into the blonde's blue orbs speaking in an teasing tone. "They are. This is a lesson in adaptation. Besides, I thought you might like to see what Jean has been learning…while we talk." She picks up the glass and hands it to the blonde again. "I make a fresh batch every morning for Jean. She says you enjoy it. You should have some. You're going to need to stay hydrated for what I have planned." Emma raises a challenging eyebrow as she breaks Ororo's gaze taking a deep breath with a deadpan expression.

'What was this woman up to?'

**TBC…..**


	2. Voices

**Title: **Voices

**Fandom:** X-Men Universe comics / movies

**Pairing:** Emma F. / Ororo M. / Jean G.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Notes:** I will post more chapters soon. I've been taking some much needed advice and not trying to rush things along.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I do love them.

* * *

The blonde continued to stare at Ororo with a stark expression on her face. Her caramel team leader just smiled and sat the glass back on the table. "Suit yourself. But don't say I didn't warn you." Ororo says taking another sip of the cucumber water. "Do you have suitable clothing if not I have some things that may fit you. And as for your shoes, we'll be going barefoot today."

The blonde stared glowering at her team leader her mouth slightly opening as she frowned. She shook her head. "If I didn't know any better I'd think you might have glanced over a few things in my profile. Gardening is at the very top of the list of things I dislike and just below that is wearing someone else's clothing. So once again, I suggest you change your agenda for this meeting." The blonde groaned.

"Alright Emma, I will give you a few options. You can follow my directions; help Hank with the bile teens in the medical lab, or you can leave my team and take your chances with team 4. Your choice."

The blonde softly shook her head and took a deep breath. She was resolved to her fate. The blonde stood to her feet and held out her hand looking away from Ororo. Her team leader smiled and put a glass of cucumber water into her reluctant subordinate's hand. "I knew you'd make the right decision. Follow me." Ororo says to Emma as they walk into the caramel woman's bedroom. Ororo had read Emma's profile carefully. She knew exactly how to get the most out of her insubordinate teammate.

**The Garden**

The platinum blonde X-woman stood irritated waving bees away from her face randomly hardening her skin when they tried to sting her as she watched the 5'11" caramel goddess slowly get to her knees and crawl through a row of dirt. The blonde couldn't help but watch, as the thoughts of her team leader groveling on her knees flew through her mind one after another to the point that she was full on gazing at Storm's toned backside and slightly arched back. "There are only a few occasions that would move me to prostrate myself Miss Frost, this is not one of them." Ororo said continuing to crawl elongating her back. "I'm sure you can get a much better view down here, come join me."

Ororo said lying down in the row next to a patch of watermelon patting the ground motioning for her subordinate to join her.

"Is this really necessary? I can see fine from where I am." Emma huffed already exhausted from the walk to a greenhouse on the outer edge of the forest. She continued looking away realizing she may have been projecting. Jean had warned the blonde that the weather witch is just as sensitive to thoughts intuitively as they were telepathically. The blonde didn't believe her girlfriend until that moment.

Ororo turned and gave her a knowing look. The blonde rolls her eyes and reluctantly laid next to the woman gritting her teeth as dirt had already managed to find its way underneath her well manicured finger nails.

"Now what…" Emma barked in an annoyed tone.

"Close your eyes take a deep breath and don't move. This soil and everything that grows from it is alive. Right now all of these living things are allowing us to share in their existence. Clear your mind and listen to them. Their voice is a gentle -," She says as the blonde interrupts her. Emma takes in a deep aggravated breath as she tries to get up not wanting any part of what she assumed was her team leaders 'be one with everything' spiel. She crystallizes her skin as Ororo grabs her arm and holds her still.

"Don't…..move." Ororo says with a stern expression.

The blonde rolls her eyes. "You must be out of your mind if you think I'm going to sit here an -," Emma is rendered speechless as smooth vines slowly creep up her body. Her chest begins to heave as the vines reach her neck. She de-crystallizes and telepathically communicates with Ororo. The feeling of these vines on her body made her feel so disgusted she didn't want to speak.

~ Get_….. these things…. off of me… this instant._ ~

To her surprise the caramel woman began to sing a song a melodious song. The vines begin slowly retracting from the blonde's body as Ororo continues to sing. "Now very slowly lay back down in the dirt." She commands the blonde who decides to stand to her feet. "I don't think so. I'm done for the day. I didn't sign up for this."

Ororo lets go of Emma's arm as sea blue orbs lock into ice blue eyes. "Alright. If you can leave, I'll release you for the day." She says nonchalantly as she turns and begins to examine one of the watermelon buds. Emma crystallizes her body and walks down the row. Vines, bees, wasps, butterflies, and even dirt begins to converge on her. Within a few feet she is pulled to the cold wet ground which had hardened. If she hadn't been in her diamond form she would have been seriously injured. The vines continue to tighten though not hurting her in the least bit, she still couldn't move.

The more she struggled the tighter the vines got after about 10 minutes her team leader stood up and walked over to the restrained blonde and shook her head. "I can help if you want to listen. Just follow my instructions." She says looking down as the blonde shakes her head no.

The blonde took this as a test to her pride. She would not allow herself to show weakness in front of the woman, whether she was restrained or not. The blonde wasn't going to let Storm get the best of her. She was Emma Frost, the hyper intelligent White Queen. She could figure this out.

* * *

After another 10 minutes Ororo decides to sit next to the woman as a few birds land on her shoulder. "You don't seem to be getting very far. Did you discover a strategy that's working out for you? Are you close to being released?" Even through the crystal Ororo could see the blonde's disdain for her.

"They can keep that up indefinitely. Will you be staying the night? I should probably let Jean know though. I'll go give her a call." Ororo says standing to her feet and walking down the row. The blonde would be red with anger if she weren't covered with impenetrable diamond skin. She felt sick thinking she would have to ask anyone for help, let alone Ororo Fucking Munroe. She knew this was going to happen, the blonde could now see that her team leader had indeed read her profile and had masterfully planned all this out based on the blonde's well known personality traits.

Emma lay there resigning herself to the only option available to her however demeaning it may be. "Wait." The blonde whispers in an almost inaudible tone as her team leader continues down the row. "I said wait!" She yells now biting a vine that has entered her mouth. Ororo stops and turns around.

"Oh I'm sorry were you speaking to me. Did you decide you were staying the night?" She teases leisurely walking over to the blonde.

"Would you like to know how to get out of that now?" She asks as the blonde tries to nod her head. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you."

"Yes." Emma mumbles. "Yes what Emma. Tell me what you want." She can see the blonde gritting her teeth through her diamond covered face. Emma takes in an unnecessary breath. "Tell me what I need to do."

Ororo smiles. "Oh so you mean you can't do this by yourself. That the great Emma Frost is in genuine need of someone besides herself, is that what you are saying?"

The blonde rolls diamond covered eyes and stares at Ororo. "You've had your fun. Now get these things off of me. Now." Ororo stands to her feet and puts her hands on her hips.

"Sing." Her caramel leader tells her. "Excuse me." The blonde says hearing what the woman said but already feeling a sinking feeling in her stomach her diamond lip almost trembling. "You must sing to them." Ororo responds.

"I don't….sing…." Emma mumbles embarrassingly.

"Unfortunately, your voice is the only thing that will appease them now. Let me show you." Ororo says as she begins to sing the same melody she sang earlier. The vines remain coiled around the irritated blonde. "They've become quite attached to you you see. They won't let go until you tell them to."

* * *

Emma never sang. Her mind immediately went back to her childhood. She was forced to sing in front of her parents friends at their dinner parties. One horrible day when she wasn't feeling well her voice cracked and a 7 year old Emma watched in horror as all the adults began to whisper and laugh and talk among themselves. Her parents frowned and glared at her. She spent 3 weeks with a brutally strict German singing coach named Helga.

Once she turned 13 she ran away from home, tired of being a circus act for her parents. She decided she would never sing again at least until now. The blonde was furious. Why would Ororo choose something like this for their second one on one meeting? Her dislike of singing was also in her profile. The woman was blatantly forcing her to confront these things. She almost considered just staying there and not moving for the entire night just to spite her team leader.

"What do I do?" Emma asks reluctantly.

Ororo kneels down and whispers into her ear. "Listen to them, they will tell you." She turns and quickly walks out of the row toward the greenhouse door. "I'll inform Jean of your predicament. Don't worry I'll keep her company until you get back."

The blonde practically growls at Ororo as she watches the woman leave the greenhouse and turn out the lights.

She is completely appalled by her team leader's behavior. How incompetent did you have to be to not only lead someone into a hostile situation, but to leave them there was just irresponsible. From what she had seen of the weather goddess, this was not her M.O. There was a reason she did this and the blonde doubted that it had anything to do with her girlfriend like the woman implied. Sure they had their history, but the woman didn't show her any disrespect thus far.

The blonde was fortunate she didn't need to breathe because the vines would have suffocated her by now. The blonde was not big on listening to nature or singing, so this would take more effort than she was ready to expend right at that moment.

She wasn't sure how much time had gone by. She laid there quietly with her eyes closed waiting when she finally heard a faint humming sound. The blonde couldn't identify where it had come from, but to her surprise she felt calm the more she listened to it.

She made an effort to roll over so she could put her ear to the ground, then the sound changed. It became like a siren in the blonde's ears. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and tried to mimic the first sound she had heard.

"Mmm, huumm,….mmmm….laaaaaa...luuuuuu." The siren sound stopped. So apparently moving made them angry. So they had feelings. That was different. It was unexpected these were just plants.

_~ Alright plants or whatever you are. I am listening, but I would like to leave now. Tell me how to leave_. ~ She sent telepathically to whomever was around.

Closing her eyes a melody began to play in her head. It wasn't that difficult but she was not the best singer by a long shot and struggled with the thought of embarrassing herself. There was no one around but these plants but she was still self-conscious. The blonde had to admit that the melody wasn't at all unpleasant. She just wasn't sure if she could sing it.

She took a few deep unnecessary breathes and mimicked the tones almost perfectly via the use of her diamond form to alter the frequency and pitch of her vocal chords.

First the dirt began to move away bit by bit so the blonde sang louder the bees and other flying creatures who had taken up residence on the blonde began to retreat to various areas of the greenhouse.

Finally the green vines began to loosen until Emma was finally free. She had learned her lesson. She stood up, retracted her crystal form and listened quietly. The gentle sounds made her feel invigorated and full of life, so much so that the more she sang; the more she began to sweat. The plants began to move around her making strange geometric shapes. 'I have an audience.' She thought to herself with a gentle smile as her voice echoed through the greenhouse. She was filled with comfort and caring, but she wasn't sure of the source of it. All she knew is that for the first time in over 25 years, she wanted to sing and was enjoying herself.

At least three minutes had gone by when she heard clapping from outside the greenhouse. She stopped singing and walked to the door opening it.

Jean had her mouth covered with a few fresh tears on her cheeks as Ororo smiled at the tight-lipped grimacing blonde.

"I see you found your way out Emma. May I ask how you -," Ororo asked as the blonde walked past her hitting her shoulder turning to regard her a look of pure anger on her face. "Be careful Ororo." Emma said as she made a beeline for mansion, anxious to get the disgusting feel of nature off of her body. Jean smiled gave her best friend a hug and followed her pouting girlfriend back to the mansion.

By the time the redhead got up to their apartment. Emma was already in the shower. Jean sighed as she heard a very soft hum coming from the bathroom. She smiled leaning against the door. She had never heard her girlfriend sing before. Her voice was …..beautiful.

**TBC….**


	3. Synchronicity

**Title: **Synchronicity

**Fandom:** X-Men Universe comics / movies

**Pairing:** Emma F. / Ororo M. / Jean G.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Notes:** I usually love when I have days like this, but I really feel for Emma here.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I do love them.

* * *

Jean was in bed pretending to read a book when Emma emerged from the bathroom. Not bothering to make eye contact with her partner she went to her dresser and pulled out a white satin robe and walked over to her side table cabinet and pulls out a bottle of Nolet Reserve gin.

The redhead had already prepared a fresh glass with mint, basil, and cucumber for her lover's usual night cap and sat it on her side of the bed. The blonde filled the glass and put the bottle away. She pulled back the sheets and got into bed taking a long sip of her drink.

The room was quiet. You could hear a pin drop. To anyone who would have walked in the two women would have looked like they were lying in bed relaxing, however they were engaged in a telepathic conversation.

_~ Emma I really think you should reconsider. ~_

_~Drop it Tiger. Just drop it. ~_

_~ You know she didn't do it on purpose, why you are acting like this? ~_

_~ Because she did do it on purpose Jean. It's obvious she's had it out for me since I first arrived here. ~_

_~ Come on Em. Ro has been nothing but kind and accommodating to you even though you take every available opportunity to be a total bitch and completely dismiss her. ~_

_~ You people have not been on the other side of that woman's rage. Tigers do not change their stripes. I'm not going to sit around and wait for her to turn on me again like she did today. ~_

_~ Turn on you? Yeah okay now you're just being melodramatic. ~_

_~ Jean she put me in a life threatening situation and left me there. Ororo psychologically forced me to relive a past trauma. Had I been of a lesser mind my psyche would have crumbled under such pressure. And if that wasn't enough when I retracted my crystal, that greenhouse was like an oven, I could have died if I had been left in there all night. That's not the kind of person I want to take orders from Jean. ~_

Her partner leans over and kisses her on the cheek.

_~ That's just your pride talking baby. Everyone wants to be on Ro's team, don't take that for granted_. _She knows what she is doing. You just have to learn to trust her. _~

Jean says as she puts her book down and slips under the sheets. The redhead begins to gently caress the blonde's thigh tip toeing her finger tips toward her lover's inner thigh. She softly caresses the blonde's quickly moistening folds. Emma sips her drink knowing what her partner is wanting, but in spite of her body's reactions she wasn't in the mood. Which was yet another reason for her to be angry with her soon to be former team leader; there weren't too many things that put her off her appetite for the redhead.

The blonde continued to sip her Tom Collins trying to relax. She felt so good singing an hour ago. To hear her voice again was overwhelming, she didn't even sing when she was alone. Seeing those plants respond to her voice so enthusiastically made her feel things she had never felt before. Even in her initial conscious sharing mind connecting moments with the redhead she never felt anything like this before.

It was both exciting and distressing at the same time.

The blonde removes her lovers hand and sits it on the bed. Jean smiles and brings her fingers to her lips and licks on them. The blonde finishes her drink and sits the glass on the table and slips under the covers. She softly takes Jean's hand turning her back to the redhead bringing it to her mouth and softly pressing her lips to her palm taking a deep breath through her nose and closing her eyes.

Jean pulls her lover into her body and kisses the back of her neck as she whispers to her. "You have the most beautiful voice I've ever heard in my entire life Emma Frost. I hope I'll be able to hear it again someday. A gift like that is meant to be shared baby." She feels the blonde shift her body slightly and take a deep breath. The blonde swallows hard. "Good night Tiger."

"I love you baby. Just don't make any decisions right away okay. Good night." Jean whispers.

* * *

**Frost Industries**

The blonde left for work early that morning, not disturbing the peaceful slumber of her lover. Her driver was a few minutes late to pick her up, it was highly unusual. The car pulled up in front of the institute and the driver got out of the car with a huge smile on his face and ran to open the door for his boss.

"Is there are reason for your tardiness Luther?" She asks him wondering why the man was smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh I'm so sorry Mistress Frost." He said not being able to take the smile off his face. "My uhh, daughter, she's been sick for a while at the hospital. She…she woke up this morning and…" He said wiping I tear from his eye and shaking his head trying to compose himself. "She, woooo, she, well as soon as she saw me she smiled and took my face in her little hands and sang the song I been singing to her every day for the past year."

He rubs his eyes as the blonde frowns at him. "Yes well from now on don't let personal matters interfere with your work. You are paid substantially well Luther and it's my company's health care plan that allowed you to get the proper care your daughter needed. Don't forget that." The blonde takes a deep breath and gets into the car. Luther nods his head as he closes the door and takes on a more serious expression. "Yes Mistress Frost. I understand. Thank you."

The blonde didn't like the way the day was headed. As they drove down the express way she noticed the caption on a billboard for a new video game. "Sing like no one's watching. Karaoke Hero." She rolls her eyes and turns on the morning news on the television in the limousine.

She flips through a few channels and decides on CNN. "Coming up next at the top of the hour….A medical phenomenon that is sweeping the nation: How singing can lower stress and even help relieve the symptoms of certain types of cancer. CNN correspondent Ander-," The blonde huffs changing the station only to see a young teen pop idol singing in times square.

She shakes her head and turns off the TV. The rest of the drive was completely silent, as she didn't want to risk turning on the radio.

They arrived at Frost Industries just in time to see a local street musician serenading employees that entered the building. The blonde was certainly not in the best mood, she immediately called security and had the musician removed from the grounds. Luther kept his eyes down as he followed the blonde into the building. That local musician was there every morning and had become a bit of a Frost Industries staple. The woman had a great voice and always sang songs about being happy. He made sure to try and stay off his boss' radar today.

The blonde finished with her morning paperwork and decided to visit the building's restaurant for lunch. She didn't stay long as all of her employees were asking one another what happened to the singer this morning. They always make sure to tip her saying that they would walk up to the building and hear exactly what they needed to hear to cheer them up that morning.

"May I have your attention…" The blonde said to the chattering crowd. "I do not care how you choose to spend your hard earned money; however I have a zero tolerance policy for vagrants who loiter in front of my building. From now on if you are going to feed the birds do it elsewhere. Am I understood?" The employees began looking at one another nodding and saying yes.

The blonde left the restaurant and headed up to her office for her next meeting. Her heart rate was fast as she clinched her jaw tightly. She didn't like the way this day was going at all. Why was this suddenly being thrown in her face left and right? It was like the universe was out to get her or something. Murphy's law was in full effect.

Fortunately her next appointment was with the most uptight man she had come to know in all her years of business. He hated pretty much everything especially music. As she neared her office door she breathed a sigh of relief knowing she could finally take refuge from her universally drawn out moment of weakness with Ororo Munroe.

* * *

"Hallo Herrin Frost, I hope you don't mind but I invited meine schwester to join me today. She will not be a bother." The large stout German asked motioning for the small dark blonde woman in the corner to come forward. Emma looked at her and extended her hand.

The woman didn't move. Emma looked at the minister and waited. "Schwester nicht unhöflich sein. This woman has allowed you to sit with me today." He gruffs. The woman puts out her hand and shakes Emma's hand and quickly lets go and heads back to her seat in the corner.

Throughout the meeting Emma caught the girl staring at her intently. Other than that the meeting went over without a hitch. The blonde enjoyed a full hour without any mention of music or singing, she actually began to smile.

The German shook her hand and moved to leave. His sister stood stark in front of Emma's desk and bowed her head. "Is there a problem?" Emma asked looking toward the door at the woman's brother. The woman speaks in broken English. "Thunk yo for to meet."

Emma smiles and tells the woman it was her pleasure. The blonde's German client opened the door and called for his sister. "Come Helga. It is time to leave."

The blonde's smile instantly vanishes as the door closes.

Emma decided to close her eyes and ears on the entire ride home. It was the most peace she had had all day. Once she got the institute she went up to her apartment with intent to shield herself from the torturous world that seemed to be against her.

She opened the door to the sound of laughter. Walking into the living room she sees Jean on top of Ororo trying to tickle her. The blonde clinches her jaw and loudly clears her throat. "I take it that you didn't get my message Jean. I told you I'd be leaving work early today. What is SHE doing here?"

The redhead gets ups accidentally grabbing one of the caramel woman's breasts. "Oh gosh, sorry Ro." Storm laughs as Jean helps her to her feet. "It's no problem Jean you know that." Winking at her friend as she turns toward Emma. "Since I'm here do you have a few minutes Emma?"

"No, I don't." The blonde says quickly almost ignoring the woman. She stalks past Jean and goes into the bedroom. "Tiger I'll be dining in tonight. Raul will be coming over to cook. If you want to eat with me, give me your selections for the evening."

"Ooookay." Ororo says looking at her redheaded friend. "Jean I'll leave you two to it. Remember what we talked about alright. It would mean the world to me." She walks toward the front door and turns speaking into the apartment. "Emma, I expect you to report to my greenhouse at 0700 Wednesday morning. That is not a request it is an order. We need to discuss your new team assignment. I'm transferring you to team four ." Closing the door behind her as the blonde came almost stomping into the living room. "You have some kind of nerve trans-," The door shuts and she is left speechless.

Ororo Fucking Munroe…..

**TBC….**

* * *

German Language Translation: Herrin (Mistress) , meine schwester (my sister) , Schwester nicht unhöflich sein (Sister do not be rude)


	4. Trust Me

**Title: **Trust Me

**Fandom:** X-Men Universe comics / movies

**Pairing:** Emma F. / Ororo M. / Jean G.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Notes:** I've walked into situations like this. Reverse Psychology

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I do love them.

* * *

The blonde turns to her girlfriend full of anger. "What the hell has gotten into you Jean? Does our relationship mean so little to you?" She says walking up to confront her girlfriend.

Jean furrows her brow and cocks her head. "Whoa Em, what are you talking about?"

"Didn't you just tell me last night, not to make any decisions right away? Where do you get off sharing our personal conversations with her?" She frowns as she crosses her arms.

The redhead shakes her head back and forth. "Baby, calm down, I didn't tell her anything. I swear." She rubs her girlfriend's arms.

The blonde takes a deep breath as she snaps her neck back and looks at the redhead with squinting eyes. "You mean you didn't tell her that I wanted to leave her team?" Jean shakes her head no. The blonde turns her head and looks toward the door her heart begins to beat faster as she grits her teeth.

She blinks her eyes rapidly taking in the situation. Ororo was taking her off of her team on her own. Why would she do something like that? The blonde walks to the couch and sits down taking a deep breath. "Tiger are you sure you didn't discuss our conversation with her." She asks as the redhead sits down next to her.

"I'm sure baby. That's between you and Ro. I didn't want to get involved." She says rubbing the blonde's thigh. "So why was she here and what were you two talking about? You seemed pretty distracted when I came in." The blonde asks in a somewhat accusing tone.

The redhead moves to kiss the sensitive spot on her girlfriend's neck, laughing as she flinches. "I'm serious Tiger. What's going on between you two?" The blonde asks looking away toward the side table next to the couch, not wanting to meet the redhead's eyes.

She felt jealous and suspicious as her heart began to beat harder her emotions prepared for an assault. Jean sighs and tries to cup the blonde's cheek in her hand, but the woman pulls away.

"Aww, Em. Baby, don't be like. I've told you before, she and I are just friends. I can't have a tickle fight to cheer my friend up from time to time." Her hand begins to gently stoke the blonde's inner thigh moving closer to her pelvis. The blonde quickly tries to move her girlfriend's hand, but it's too late, the redhead begins to apply pressure as her girlfriend jumps from the couch trying to get away.

She tries to crystallize her skin but the redhead telepathically stops her before her legs shift as she tickles her girlfriend. Emma is full on laughing now. "Stop Tiger…..St….St…..Stopppp!" She yells as the woman continues her assault now going for the blonde's exposed neck again. She quickly kisses the crook of her neck making the blonde yelp.

The redhead straddles her prostrate girlfriend's hips and she holds her hands against the floor as the kisses to her neck become more passionate and slow. She rests the full weight of her body against the now heavily panting blonde releasing their interlocked fingers to caress her lover's cheek. "There's nothing….." She says continuing to kiss her neck and jaw. "Going on…." She whispers as she takes Emma's bottom lip into her mouth and sucks on it. "Between Ro and I. I promise." She punctuates the statement with a long passionate sigh filled kiss.

She slowly moves down the blonde's body and rests her chin on her girlfriends bountiful chest. The blonde takes a deep breath as she stares at the ceiling regaining her composure. They both lay there on the floor quietly for a while.

Emma begins to caress the redhead's hair still not making eye contact. She swallows hard. "Tiger, I….I….I don't…." She's finding it difficult to say the words. Her girlfriend senses her apprehension and sends her loving soothing comforting thoughts massaging her mental shields.

_~ I'm listening baby._ ~ Jean whispers.

The blonde takes in a harsh breath.

_~ I don't like how close you two are. It makes me uncomfortable. ~_ The blonde finally says still staring at the ceiling.

_~ Tell me why baby. ~_

_~ Because you're mine Jean. She wants you, I know she does. I don't know how you can't see it. She doesn't even try and hide it. All you're doing is encouraging her. ~_

The redhead laughs in her head.

~ _Em, you really need to get know Ro. That's just how she is. Trust me. She used to be a lot more physical with me when we first met. She didn't grow up in the United States. She was born in Africa, the tribe she came from expresses emotions differently, that's why she's so strong intuitively. ~_

The blonde rolls her eyes.

~ _I've read her profile thoroughly, Jean. And I can tell you that I've spent years observing people in every stage of every imaginable sexual pursuit. If you think Ororo is just "being friendly" you're fooling yourself._ ~

Jean crawls up the blonde's body and plants her hands firmly on the floor on either side of her girlfriend's head. She lifts her body up and stares longingly into her beautiful blue eyes.

"Even if that was the case, which it's not, do you trust me Emma Frost? Or are you still afraid I'll cheat on you like I did with my husband?" The blonde stares up into those emerald green eyes then down to her lips as she sits up and the captures the redhead's lips between her own. She wraps her arms around her girlfriend's waist as she pulls back looking into her eyes again.

"I trust you with all that I am Jean Grey, but I don't trust Ororo Munroe around you and that's all I have to say about that." She says as she taps the redhead's thighs signaling for her to get up. The redhead instead pushes the blonde back to the floor.

"I know you Em. I know what you've been through. I promise you I'm not going anywhere. You have me and…." She leans down and kisses the blonde's full lips. "You can have Ro too if you just give her a chance."

The blonde's eyes widen as she stares at her girlfriend not sure what she was implying. Jean laughs. "She's been a great friend to me baby, my best friend as a matter of fact. I have no doubt that she can be a great friend to you to if you just give her a chance." The redhead says watching her girlfriend roll her eyes. "I mean it Em, I don't know what's happening with you two and the team assignments but regardless of that Ro is someone you're going to want on your side no matter what."

The blonde takes a deep breath and looks at her watch. "Have you decided what you want for dinner Tiger?" The redhead smiles as the blonde smirks. "I'm always on the menu lover, but I meant sustenance in the form of food." The redhead begins nuzzling her favorite spot on the blonde's neck.

"How soon until he gets here?" She whispers as she nibbles on her girlfriend's earlobe unbuttoning her suit jacket. Emma laughs as she looks at her watch. "Twenty minutes, do you think you can manage, I'm not in the gentlest moods right now." Jean giggles as she sits up and pulls her shirt over her head. "Bring it on Frosty."

The blonde raises a challenging eyebrow and quickly puts the redhead on her back and proceeds to ravage her right up until the minute that their cook knocks on the door. She finishes the redhead off making the woman scream out in pleasure as she sends a telepathic message to the cook to give them a few minutes to freshen up before entering.

**Later that evening….**

The couple lies in bed, Jean is fast asleep, and the blonde is wide awake thinking about her team leader. She couldn't figure out why Ororo would want to take her off of her team, not that she wanted to be on it anyway. But it was bothering her. She had passed the woman's stupid test. Sure she didn't have the best attitude about it, but who in their right mind would happy being restrained in a humid greenhouse all night by killer vines. Her reaction was normal. Things could have been much worse if she weren't so level headed and self controlled. The woman should be grateful to have such a powerful telepath on her team. So what was she thinking?

The blonde had never been dismissed by anyone before. It was the White Queen's full time job to be wanted. There must have been some sort of mistake. Yes that was it. This was just a joke. Ororo wasn't dismissing her, she was dismissing Ororo. There was no way the woman didn't want her on her team.

* * *

**The next day….**

The blonde went into Frost Industries early and returned home at 10 am, she saw Ororo walking down the stairs wearing a white sports bra and white leotards. She was ravishing, the blonde couldn't look away.

"Good morning Miss Frost, I thought Jean said you had work away from the institute today." She asks as she reaches the bottom of the stairs.

The blonde has to remind herself to speak. "Yes I do, I mean I did. I finished early today and decided to take the rest of the day off."

Ororo looks her up and down from head to toe and begins to walk circling the blonde.

"You're being rather obvious aren't you?" Emma asks.

"No more than you Miss Frost. You're just as undisciplined as Jean is with her thought projections." She says smirking as she stares at the woman's breasts intently before meeting her eyes.

The blonde doesn't mind that she's being examined but she was still concerned about why Ororo was transferring her. "Is that why you want me off of your team?" She asks not hiding the sting she felt in her voice.

"That topic is for tomorrow's meeting." She says sternly before softening her voice. "You seem pretty fit Miss Frost. Are you available for a game of racquetball? Logan is usually my partner but he's off on a mission today. Jean tells me that your stamina is quite formidable. Care to see how long you can really last against me?" She asks with a suggestive smirk.

The blonde raises her chin as she looks into her eyes and gives her a slight nod. "Good, I'll see you in 15 minutes on court two. I do hope you can keep up Frost." Ororo says as she walks toward the courts and the blonde heads upstairs to change.

The blonde decided she would show Ororo exactly what she would be missing if she dropped her from the team. Then when her team leader changes her mind she would triumphantly tell her that she doesn't want to follow such a fickle leader and be on her way. That's what she would do. She was looking forward to it.

**Racquetball Court Two**

The blonde came down to court wearing short shorts that showed off her toned legs to great effect and a very low cut sports bra revealing the blonde's perfectly shaped breasts and washboard abs. Ororo smiled a toothy grin and immediately walked up to the blonde and ran her hands over her stomach. The blonde was surprised as she watched the caramel woman's hands caress her stomach.

"My my my, Frost. I must say I'm impressed. I hope that body isn't just for show." She says stepping back and walking behind the blonde, smacking her on the ass as she walks toward the equipment. The blonde quickly turns around frowning at the woman. "You are much too familiar with someone who won't be on your team too much longer Ororo. I suggest you keep your hands to yourself."

The 5'11 goddess laughs as reinvades the blonde's personal space and hands her a racket and gloves. "So you're saying if I keep you on my team, I can touch you all I want? Is that an offer?" She says smirking raising a curious eyebrow as she walks to the other side of the court. "Your profile says you were a Former call girl. I had no idea you were still in business. I may take you up on that offer if Jean isn't against it."

The blonde takes a deep breath as she puffs out her chest and clinches her jaw. "Loosen up Miss Frost. Your past can't harm you unless you let it. No one is the same person they were yesterday, not even me." She bounces the ball a few times onto the floor. "Are you ready? You aren't going to wear gloves?"

The blonde turns toward the wall and crystallizes her hands. "Let's get this over with." She says as she bends down swaying back and forth. The white-haired woman smiles and hits the ball into the wall.

The two women go back and forth volley after volley, neither of them letting up. Ororo was much more skilled and took full advantage by preoccupying the blonde with conversation. "You know Jean says you are an impressive lover, I'd imagine so, all those years you spent as a slave in the Hellfire club." The blonde huffs as she hits the ball against the wall.

"Check your facts Munroe. I ran the club. They worked for me, not the other way around." Ororo quickly returns the volley.

"So you were a slave trader then. Willing to sell men and women into sexual bondage for money…" The blonde smacks the ball so hard that it ricochets into the air. Ororo quickly flies into the air and hits the ball back against the wall.

"Every….one…who came to the…Hellfire…..came on their…OWN!" She says hitting volley after volley as she followed the woman's aerial moves. "No one was…a …..a…Slave unless….it was…part …of the fantasy…" Ororo swoops down to the floor and redirects the ball back down to continue a normal volley rhythm.

"What about Sebastian Shaw? I was told that he -," The caramel woman is interrupted as the blonde catches the ball with one hand and looks into her eyes as she catches her breath. The blonde stands to her full height as sweat trickles down her body and her chest heaves clinching her jaw.

Ororo cocks her head to the side and blinks a few times. "Yes, I guess we should take a break to hydrate ourselves. She walks over to the wall and picks up a cooler. She pulls out two frosted glasses and pours them both some cucumber water. The blonde walks over to the wall and takes the glass from her hand. She leans her back against the wall and stares out into the room.

It's silent other than the sounds of their heavy breathing.

"Did I hit a sensitive chord Miss Frost?" Ororo asks.

"Ororo just call me Emma alright. And no you didn't I was just done with your chosen topic of conversation." She says sipping the water as she closes her eyes. She startled as Ororo takes her hand and pours more water into the glass as their eyes lock.

"The past may not hurt us anymore, but the scars rarely heal properly Emma. You aren't the only one with a past. Our suffering may have been at the hands of different men, but -," She's interrupted by the blonde's heavy groan.

"What is your problem Ororo? Do I look like I'm in pain? Trust me I'm not. That self-righteous prick got what he deserved and then some. I didn't ask for sympathy or empathy. So why are you volunteering it. I came down here to get some exercise not to get -,"

She's interrupted as the caramel woman suddenly presses her body against hers and presses their foreheads together still holding the woman's glass in her hand. She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breathes as the blonde gulps. Ororo opens her eyes as she stares into the blonde's wide eyes slowly pulling her face away. "You are not alone anymore Emma. Do you understand that? How do you expect anyone to get to know you if keep hiding yourself away." The blonde's heart is beating faster as she looks away from the woman.

"Is that why you don't want me on your team, because I'm not as open as everyone else is?" The blonde tries to move away from the wall as Ororo forces her body back against. "What are you doing?" She asks now very annoyed as the caramel woman follows the blondes blue eyes trying to keep eye contact. She forcefully pulls the blonde away from the wall and pushes her back against it. The blonde angrily locks eyes with her again.

Ororo's eyes are soft and calm. "You are not alone anymore Emma. I am listening. As Jean says, life is not always blue skies and rainbows. Its dark clouds…." The goddess' eyes begin to cloud over as the wind can be heard picking up from outside. "It's….rain and thunder…" She says as the walls begin to rumble her eyes still locked onto the blonde's focused blue eyes as they slowly begin to well with tears. Lightning strikes outside causing the lights in the court to flicker on and off.

The blonde can feel the vibrations through walls, the heat of Ororo's body and breathe increase as the caramel woman presses their foreheads together as the lights go off. The blonde closes her eyes as she hears the woman whisper. "It's the invisible forces that bring us our hardest sorrows and our greatest joys. You are not alone in that Emma. My team works because we share all that we are, our past, our pain, our love, our joys, our futures, and our lives…I want you on my team Emma, I truly do. You are brilliant, strong, and an incredibly powerful and skilled telepath." The blonde lets a tear fall.

"But I can't trust someone who can't trust others, who can't...trust themselves. I was hurt by someone I trusted, a man. I loved him. He was a member of my team this was before I knew about the X-men." The lights suddenly come back on and blue orbs stare into water filled aqua eyes. "He died in battle. In my rage I killed the one who was responsible. Emma, I don't want to go through that again. That pain has never left me. It wasn't until I came here and met Charles and Jean, that I learned to trust again. It took time for me too and when you are ready I'll be here."

Rogue suddenly opens the court door and sees the two women. "Oh, my bad, I'm sorry didn't hear nobody in here." Neither of them moves. "Uuh, yeah I'll just go to the next court." She says quietly as she closes the door.

Ororo releases the blonde, who quickly wipes her eyes and clears her throat. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow at 7 then." She says moving past Ororo. She stops at the door and looks back as Ororo's soft lidded eyes meet her ice blue gaze, she raises her chin and closes her eyes as she walks out the door and it slowly closes behind her.

**TBC….**


	5. Baby Steps

**Title: **Baby Steps

**Fandom:** X-Men Universe comics / movies

**Pairing:** Emma F. / Ororo M. / Jean G.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Notes:** Oh the feels….

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I do love them.

* * *

The blonde quickly heads upstairs to her room. She's deep in thought and confused emotionally. She'd never felt anything like what she was feeling. The blonde was anxious to wash the sweat from her body. She could smell Ororo's sweet scent all over her. The woman smelled of honey and lavender, a testament to her diet.

The blonde was trembling and couldn't understand why. Of course she wasn't alone, she had Jean. The redhead was all she needed. Ororo was out of her mind. The blonde had worked with plenty of people in the past and never had to reveal personal details about their lives. They just needed the ability to follow directions that was all.

Ororo was being unreasonable. What would knowing more about the blonde's life change? It wouldn't change anything. What it would do is give a stranger the ammunition they would need to cause her harm that's what it would do. All you need is one person to share things with and she had Jean, she was all she needed. The redhead was all she would ever need.

Emma reached her apartment door and dropped the key she was so shaken up. 'That woman needs to learn to keep her hands to herself. I can't even imagine the types of things she's done to Tiger.' The blonde was beyond irritated as she finally got through the door and headed straight for the shower.

She noticed her hand was trembling as she reached to turn on the hot water. This was absolutely ridiculous that she felt so shaken up. The woman was brash and juvenile to invade the blonde's personal space like that. As the water hit the blonde's face she felt her body shiver at the powerfully electric feel of the caramel goddess' body pressed against hers. She quickly shook the thought from her head as she began to massage her temple.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; she wondered how Jean would have felt had she walked in on them downstairs in such a compromising position. Would her partner have trusted that nothing was going on between them. The blonde imagines her and Ororo's full soft lips connecting and sighs softly.

What was Ororo thinking? She claimed to know the blonde so well yet she felt it was appropriate to invade her personal space repeatedly as if they were well acquainted….like she was with Jean. Emma shook her head and closed her eyes as a tear feel from her eyes. Still thinking to herself. 'She had Jean, she didn't need anyone else.'

The redhead came home for a late lunch and heard the shower running. "Em, baby you home? What are you doing back so early?" She asks walking toward the bedroom. "Em?"

The redhead starts grinning and quickly strips down and slowly opens the bathroom door. She tip toes to the steam filled shower and opens it. The blonde jumps slightly as her girlfriend kisses her shoulder and wraps her arms around her waist.

"What a sweet surprise, my lovely home so early." Jean says as she continues to kiss the back of the blonde's neck. She feels her lover take in a deep breath and senses that something is wrong. Emma wasn't trying to reciprocate at all. The redhead steps in front of her lover and can see that her eyes are puffy.

She takes the woman into her arms. "Baby what happened what is it?" Emma wraps her arms around the redhead and tucks her face into the crook of her neck closing her eyes.

~ _I love you Tiger. ~_ Emma whispers.

~ _I love you too baby. Talk to me, what's going on. ~_

The blonde takes a deep breath and massages her lover's mental shields. Jean immediately drops them and Emma sends her images of what happened earlier with Ororo. The redhead closes her eyes as she takes her girlfriend's emotions into her being. She holds her lover tighter as the confusion hits her like a tidal wave. The redhead takes a deep breath as she feels Ororo's body against her own as heart begins to flutter.

The blonde pulls the redhead in as close as possible as she relives the satisfaction she felt when Ororo confessed that she wanted her on her team, then the immediate sense of rejection when the woman told her that she couldn't trust her.

The blonde really couldn't hear anything else Ororo said after that, but her detailed memory allowed Jean to get the full message as she began to caress Emma's back gently. The redhead took a deep breath and held her lover sending her calming thoughts of ease. She understood perfectly how Emma felt.

Jean knew that Emma was still having a challenging time sharing her feelings with others even with her. She decided she needed to talk to Ororo, she could feel that this was a bit too much for her lover. The blonde heard the thought and immediately spoke up.

"No Jean. I'll admit this is new territory for me but I am not a child alright." Jean pulls back from her lover. "Em, look I've known Ororo longer than you have alright, she's taking things too far, she just doesn't understand you like I do."

Emma shakes her head and lifts her hand to Jeans cheek to make eye contact. "Tiger. I'll figure this out." She softly kisses the redhead. "I…I just need a little time, but appreciate that you want to help."

Jean puts her arms around the blonde's neck and leans in sucking her bottom lip into her mouth. "Is there…anything else…I can do to help out." As the water trickles down their faces. The blonde smiles softly and drops her eyes to her lover's lips. The redhead leans in and pulls her lover into a passionate kiss.

Then she softly nudges her lover toward the shower wall and telekinetically turns the shower head so the water is hitting the blonde's chest. She holds the blonde's hips with a strong psychic grip and proceeds to kiss her way down her body. The blonde speaks up.

"Tiger, baby I want to feel you." Jean stands up looking into the blonde's blue eyes and presses her body against her softly kissing her as the blonde wraps her legs around her waist. She touches her lover everywhere telekinetically as their minds bond feeling one another's emotions and physical sensations.

The blonde feels intense release sharing everything she had with her lover that afternoon. She stayed in her apartment for the rest of the day processing what she had experienced. Being with Jean really helped her deal with her feelings as the redhead allowed Emma to see some of her memories of the past she and Ororo shared. The blonde felt better about the woman's physical contact, but she still needed to control her own growing desire her partner's best friend.

Emma wasn't used to someone touching her so casually without there being some form of reciprocation. Now looking at Jean's memories she saw that Ororo's physical affection didn't mean she wanted to be intimate, but that didn't stop the blonde's body from reacting. She was worried about having shared her attraction to Ororo with the redhead, but was relieved noticing that she didn't respond negatively like she expected.

This was indeed new territory for the blonde. Jean agreed not to confront Ororo about what happened on the racquetball court. Emma spent the whole evening thinking of the best course of action, as she no longer wanted to leave the woman's team. But she still couldn't understand Ororo's stance on trust. She felt there was enough trust between them to be a useful member of the team.

**The next day….**

Emma is up at 6 am. She goes down to the pool and swims a few laps to get rid of her nervousness. She decided she was going to do something she had never done before when she met Ororo. She would try and talk to the woman.

* * *

**Ororo's Greenhouse 6:45 am**

The blonde walks into the greenhouse and looks around, the lights were off. This was unusual. The caramel goddess was rarely unprepared. Emma clears her throat and waits. She looks toward the woman's bedroom and sees that her door is slightly open. The blonde smiles as a thought springs to her mind. 'She felt comfortable enough to invade my personal space; I might as well return the favor.'

She silently walks to the door and softly nudges it open. She swallowed hard feeling a painful ache beneath her waist at the sight of Ororo naked in bed her white silver hair ever so lightly covering her nipples and a sheer sheet covering her waist. The woman looked like an artistic nude painting. Emma stood there staring watching the woman turn over, the blonde bit her bottom lip softly as the sheet fell revealing Storm's toned ass.

Emma backs out of the room and runs into the threshold of the door, knocking over a vase. She turns and looks toward Ororo like a frightened child waiting to be yelled at. Ororo takes a deep breath and turns over meeting the blonde's eyes. She yawns as Emma stands there frozen.

"Come on in,…..what time is it?" She asks. The blonde stands and blinks now looking away from the naked woman down to her watch. "Its 6:50, we have a meeting in 10 minutes."

Ororo takes a deep breath yawning again. "Have a seat Emma, there's a chair right there." The blonde clears her throat and rolls her eyes. This was completely uncivilized Ororo was trying her patience. "Don't you think you should freshen up before our meeting? I'll just leave and you can give me a call when you are better prepared."

The naked woman laughs. "Nonsense, you didn't have a problem with my nakedness earlier when you decided to enter my room a few minutes ago. Has something changed between now and then? I never took you for such a fickle woman Emma. This must be old hat to someone like you."

The blonde turns toward the woman locking eyes with her as she raises a challenging eyebrow. She gives her head a slight nod and walks over to the chair next to Ororo's bed and gracefully sits down crossing her legs.

"Would you like some water or are you alright?" Storm asks her. "I'm fine thank you."

Ororo lays her head against a large pillow and stares at the blonde. The room is silent for a full minute. "So… what do you think Miss Frost, have you learned to trust in a meager 16 hours?"

The blonde surprisingly smiles and turns to face the unashamed woman. She was feeling much more comfortable today for some reason. She takes a deep breath. "I have decided that I am open to have a conversation with you. I will answer whatever questions you ask me." She says as allows her eyes to slowly travel the length of Ororo's 5 foot 11 frame. Storm smiles and sighs.

"Well that's very generous of you. I'm honored." She scoots over to the edge of the bed and sits up and puts her fists under her chin. "Hum, how about we finish where we left off yesterday. Tell me about what happened between you and Mr. Shaw."

The blonde slowly blinks and swallows hard as she parts her lips as Ororo interrupts her. "Before you begin, I need you to understand something. I appreciate that you are doing this, but my decision is still final and you have been transferred to team four. So whatever you decide to share with me is between you and I it won't affect my decision." Emma's jaw clinches as her heart begins to race, her eyes widen as she stares at Ororo trying not to flare her nostrils.

"So why am I here if you have already transferred me?"

"You are here because I want you on my team Emma. But I want you when you are truly ready to be here. I've met many people like you from the corporate world. You are prepared to share with me, because it is a means to an end, not because you trust me. Am I wrong?" Ororo asks as she puts her arms down and sits up watching the woman's reactions.

Emma turns away from her and blinks rapidly trying to think of an appropriate response but can't find one. What the woman said was true, but it wasn't the only reason she was there. Emma took a deep breath and decided to do what she had planned to do and be open with the woman.

* * *

**Confessions**

"I was 21 when I met Sebastian Shaw. I was already the head of a multi-global corporation." She says softly.

Ororo raises her eyebrows as she listens to the blonde attentively.

"I was young and despite my intelligence and telepathic abilities he remained a mystery to me. I fell in love with him. I couldn't read his mind and it intrigued me. It was fun and exciting not knowing what he was thinking." She smiled to herself as she thought on how happy she was back then, but the smile quickly faded.

"I was no stranger to sex. I enjoyed it actually. I felt powerful, in complete control. Sebastian was an excellent lover; I sometimes felt he was the one reading my mind and not the other way around." The blonde closes her eyes and takes a deep breath as she adjusts her body then stares at the floor. She's silent for a moment.

"One night at a gentlemen's club we frequented we went to our normal room and proceeded to enjoy one another in front of the men and women behind the glass. After a few minutes three men came into the room and Sebastian's expression changed. He got up like he was trying to protect me and one of them hit him over the head and he fell unconscious to the floor. Two of the men dragged him outside and came back into the room." Ororo closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath as the blonde finished her story.

Emma locked eyes with Ororo as she continued. "They proceeded to rape me over and over again for five days. On the fourth day, I looked behind the glass and saw Sebastian smiling at me. That was my initiation into the hellfire club." Ororo held her gaze as she asked her next question.

"What happened to Sebastian?" The blonde's expression was suddenly cold and distant.

"I took over ownership of the club a year after my initiation. Sebastian started a new cell of the Hellfire after I had him released from the club. I had him under 24 hour surveillance for 8 years before I found his weakness." A dark smile spread across the blonde's face.

"After I found it, I had him drained of half of his blood, castrated, raped for a month by some very well-endowed mutant members of my club. Then I had him impaled and dismembered. I left his head, neck and chest intact and had him resuscitated. He is currently in a vegetative state in one of my company labs."

She takes in a deep breath. "Death is too good for people like him." She says staring into Ororo's eyes.

"Ororo, I have never been an emotionally expressive person and I never will be, but I take trust seriously. I don't tolerate betrayal period. I've never told anyone what I just told you not even Jean now with that being said, I'm going to do something else that I have never done before."

Ororo sat up and swung her legs to the side of the bed, and faced the blonde, giving the woman her full attention still not caring about her nakedness. She took a deep breath and waited patiently seeing the blonde practically struggling to speak, continuously clearing her throat before she could get the words out.

"Ororo….. allow me to stay on your team. I feel I would benefit from your leadership. I understand your philosophy on trust, and I feel we are in agreement overall."

Storm smiles as she stands up stepping forward she opens her arms to the blonde. Emma looks the woman up and down and averts her eyes. Ororo gently cups the blonde's chin and turns her face toward hers. She gently nudges Emma to her feet and takes her into her arms. The blonde's arms remain down at her sides not knowing what to do as her heart beats faster. Ororo takes the blonde's arms and puts them around her waist. Then takes Emma's face in her hands and kisses her chastely on the lips staring into her eyes. "You never cease to amaze me Emma Frost."

The blonde blinks as Ororo continues to hold her face between her soft gentle hands, she feels lightheaded as Storm slowly moves her face closer to the blonde's smiling as she runs her thumb softly over her lips as their eyes lock. "Jean is a fortunate woman." She says caressing the woman's cheek. "Does she need to keep her eye on you?" Storm asks raising her eyebrows. Emma takes deep breath through her nose and steps out of the woman's embrace.

"Despite my reputation, she has nothing to worry about. But with that being said you would do well to cover yourself up, I'm not dead after all." She says raising a challenging eyebrow. Ororo smiles as she pulls the sheet from her bed and ties a toga. "Is this better?"

The blonde shakes her head and smiles. "A bit, so what now? Is there some paperwork I need to sign?" Ororo grabs her hand and pulls her out the bedroom door. "Wait, where are you taking me?"

"Breakfast." Ororo says as they exit the greenhouse and head for her garden. "Wait what?" The blonde says as she tries to pull away from Storm's tight grip on her wrist as she looks ahead of them. "I thought I told you that I didn't like gardening."

Ororo turns and smiles at her. "Consider this your initiation onto my team."

Emma pulls her hand away and with a confused expression on her face. "I thought your decision was final." Ororo cups the blonde's cheek again. "You're an intelligent woman Emma. I'm sure you can figure this out. Now let's hurry, the strawberries are best when the morning dew is still fresh on them."

She still didn't understand but followed Ororo to the greenhouse anyway.

**TBC….**


	6. Mirrors

**Title: **Mirrors

**Fandom:** X-Men Universe comics / movies

**Pairing:** Emma F. / Ororo M. / Jean G.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Notes:** Sometimes it takes others to help us see ourselves clearly.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I do love them.

* * *

Emma walks into the greenhouse watching Ororo out of the side of her eye. The caramel woman waves her hand out toward the strawberry patch. The blonde takes a deep slightly annoyed breath and walks over to them.

"Is this absolutely necessary?" Emma asks feeling increasingly foolish and self conscious the longer she stands there watching Ororo examine her. The blonde felt sick to her stomach after asking to join the caramel woman's team. She stood there trying to convince herself that she only asked as a precaution after revealing classified information to the woman. Yeah, she just wanted to protect her secret. No one knew that Sebastian Shaw was still alive. She needed to keep tabs on her; make sure she didn't tell anyone.

Ororo smiled held out her hands, letting Emma know that she was waiting.

The blonde reached down and to her surprise the vine moved. She reached for another and another with the same results. She turned to Ororo with a deep frown on her face.

"Oh my, I'm sorry; you seem to have forgotten about the life in this greenhouse. You must speak their language." Emma crosses her arms eyes locked on Storm's blue eyes with disdain.

She sighs, clears her throat then shakes her head. "Fine….La, La. La." She says begrudgingly as she reaches down and the vine moves away from her hand. "Are you kidding me?" She says reaching for it again.

The blonde huffs and walks toward the end of the row. Ororo calls out to her. "I'm waiting Emma. I assure that my offer of initiation is authentic. If I don't get those strawberries you won't be allowed on my team."

Emma stops and closes her eyes as her jaw clinches. Turning toward her jovial team leader she stares her dead in the eyes. Their eyes are locked for a full minute until Emma closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She wanted…no she needed to get this over with as soon as possible, but she wasn't ready for this.

At the moment she would have preferred the HellFire initiation over this. Truthfully she hadn't forgotten about her experience in the garden a few days ago, and how good it felt, but the thought of singing in front of someone was putting her on edge.

Ororo noticed the blonde's apprehension and spoke up. "Would it help if I turned around?" Emma breathed through her nose and softly nodded. Storm turned around. "Alright, whenever you are ready."

Emma swallowed hard as she thought of a song that always made her feel calm and at peace. She began to mouth the words to herself. She wasn't going to let Ororo get the best of her. She could do this. She gulps as the sinking feeling in her stomach increases; her lips part and words softly move past them.

She can hear the gentle whisper of the plants as she had before and her voice slowly got louder.

Ororo's expression changes as she listens, her eyes well with tears. She turns slightly to see her garden coming alive. The strawberry vines begin snaking their way over to her. The ripe fruit practically jump off the vines and land at her feet.

Emma takes a few more deep breaths as she can feel herself trembling and she's slightly lightheaded having actually sang in front of someone for the first time so many years. She opens her eyes to see her caramel team leader standing there with tears in her eyes, mouth agape, and strawberries all over the ground in front of her.

The blonde looks over to the strawberry patch and furrows her brow looking back over to Ororo, who now has her hand covering her heart.

Storm is practically speechless. She shakes her head reminding herself to speak. "Emma that was…it was amazing."

The greenhouse door suddenly opens as they both turn to see who was there. It was Jean.

She looks over at the caramel woman with irritation in her eyes. The redhead could feel her lover all the way from the mansion. The blonde's fear was what startled her the most. She couldn't help but come running like an over protective mother.

Ororo turns toward the platinum haired woman. "Emma, I've never heard or seen anything like this. What song was that and who wrote it?"

The blonde nervously clears her throat and turns toward the redhead who is standing in the doorway. "Your initiatory task has been met, so I will be on my way."

"Emma wait…please. I'm serious, I've never heard that song before and the plants, they've never responded…"

The blonde interrupts her as Jean places her hand on her shoulder. "Ororo with all due respect, this has been quite taxing, so if there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Storm nods noticing her apprehension. "There will be a team meeting Saturday in the danger room." She says as Emma nods walking out the door. The blonde grabs Jean's arm and pulls her outside.

* * *

She takes a shaky breath. "What are you doing here?" She asks keeping her eyes focused on her girlfriend's shoulder. She wouldn't dare look her in the eye right now, she was feeling too vulnerable. She was angry with Jean and couldn't keep the aggravation from her voice.

Jean stares at her. "I felt you. You were sc….." Emma interrupts her. "I told you I would handle this." She says suddenly gripping the redhead's arm tightly now locking eyes with her doe eyed partner. "Don't make a habit of meddling in my affairs Jean. This isn't anything that I can't…"

The redhead takes a deep breath and lifts her palm to Emma's cheek. "I know baby. I just couldn't let you be alone with what you were feeling. I know what it's like when…"

"No Jean, you don't know. You're not me and I am not you." The blonde says releasing her arm. "You would do well to remember that from now on." Emma steps around her and heads toward the mansion.

_~ Em, I just…~_ The redhead whispers.

_~ I'm not a child Jean. Have some respect and don't treat me like one. ~_ Emma responds with bite in her tone.

Jean clinches her jaw and steps into the greenhouse.

Ororo takes a deep breath and sits down in her garden picking up the strawberries at her feet staring at the redhead.

"I know this isn't easy for Emma. It wasn't easy for me either when I first got here." Storm says as she takes a bite of strawberry. She closes her eyes and laughs to herself as she thinks back to the first time she met Jean.

"Ro, she's not like me. If you keep pushing her like this…" Jean says cutting herself off as Ororo locks eyes with her. The caramel woman's expression is stark and firm.

"Jean, she's not a child, she doesn't need your protection."

The redhead sighs shaking her head and walking toward her friend. "I know that, but you don't understand her like I do. Sure she's strong, stronger than me in many ways, but she's spent years suppressing her emotions and if you keep pressing her she'll end up….."

Ororo interrupts her. "Like me."

Jean takes a deep exhausted breath and shakes her head rolling her eyes. "No Ro, that's not what I mean and you know it. She's just different okay, you can't treat her the way you did me back them. Can't you see that she's…"

Ororo takes a breath from her mouth and holds up her hand motioning for Jean to stop talking. She scoops up a few strawberries and puts them a few feet in front of her. She pats the spot with her hand.

The redhead walks over and sits across from her friend. She picks up a few strawberries and begins to eat them. The two remain quiet for a few minutes.

Ororo stares at the strawberry in her hand. "Do you remember what I was like when I first arrived here?"

Jean sighs. She knew exactly where her intuitive best friend was going with the conversation. She and Ororo didn't get along right away when they first met. Her girlfriend was already pissed at her and she wasn't in the mood for a lecture.

She shakes her head. "Ro, come on do we really need to go there?"

"You see that….right there. That's the problem Jean." Ororo says shaking her finger at the redhead.

"What, what are you talking about?" Jean asks sounding very annoyed.

"You think you know everything about people because you are so used to reading their minds. But you fail miserably at reading their hearts. That was why we had problems when I first came here."

"Ro that wasn't the reason. It was because you were attracted to me. I was the first redheaded person you had ever met."

Ororo nodded her head. "Exactly, you read my mind. And that's why it took me so long to trust you. To my eyes you were just a witch who manipulated people's thoughts. My people communicate with our emotional vibrations and feelings. The first thing I felt from you was arrogance, because you thought you knew me. And to top things off you made a point of following me around making sure no one hurt what you perceived to be my feelings."

Jean shook her head no. "Oh come on! If I hadn't you would have been a quivering mess. Everyone was apprehensive toward you. What was I supposed to do Ro? You were new here. You can act tough now, but I knew what I was sensing from you. You were scared and angry because everyone was constantly shying away from you because of your powers."

Ororo sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "It's been 10 years and you still don't have a clue."

* * *

"Excuse me?" The redhead says furrowing her brow.

"You don't trust people with their own well-being. You're doing the same thing to Emma that you did with me. I would have been fine. What you saw as fear and anger was just how I process people's emotions. I knew how frightened they were of me, so I empathized with them. You just assumed you knew what was right because you think everyone wants to feel like you do." Ororo said staring at the confused redhead.

Jean crossed her arms.

"You're right about one thing Jean. Emma is nothing like you. She may be rude and arrogant, but she has a depth of empathy that you lack and is willing to face her weakness head on."

The redhead was pissed. She stands up dropping the strawberries to the ground. "How long have you known her Ro? You've only spoken to her like four times and you think you know my girlfriend better than I do! You're the one that sounds arrogant right now!" She yells as the greenhouse begins to lightly tremble.

Ororo stands and walks over to Jean and places her hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, I'm only telling you what I see. It doesn't mean…."

The redhead cuts her off. "You're right Ro. I don't know everything, but neither do you." She says brushing her arm off her shoulder. "You aren't with her, I am. I know what she's been through. I've seen it, felt it, experienced it. She shares herself with me, not you." A few vines fall from the ceiling as the shaking gets more intense. "She can't handle being pushed so far emotionally."

Ororo's eyes cloud over. "Neither can you, apparently. Be calm. You sound jealous. What are you afraid of Jean?"

The shaking in the greenhouse suddenly stops as the redhead notices her friend's eyes and thunder booms though the sky outside. Jean takes a deep breath and holds her head down. "I'm sorry Ro. Really, I am. She's just feeling things with you that I didn't know she had the capacity for. I felt fear and pain from her earlier. I felt it all the way from the mansion. Just take it easy on her alright."

Storm's eyes turn back to normal as she cups Jean's cheek. "Are you sure it was her you were feeling? You are the most powerful telepath I know next Charles of course, but you've never been good with your own feelings." She smiles at the redhead. "As I recall that's how we became so close remember." She says pulling their foreheads together and closing her eyes.

She takes in a deep breath as Jean closes her eyes. The redhead feels her body tremble slightly as Ororo shares her feelings with her.

To the redhead's surprise her caramel friend felt at peace and full of respect and caring for her and Emma.

Jean felt sheepish all of sudden as Ororo pulled back from her. She kept her eyes closed not wanting to see her face.

Storm cups her cheek and brings their lips together softly as Jean's emerald eye's open. Their eyes lock for a moment. Jean rapidly blinks her eyes and looks away feeling heart flutter. Ororo tries to follow her eyes, but Jean keeps her head down.

"I…I think I understand, Ro." Jean says taking her friend's hand and squeezing it. "I'm gonna go okay. I need to talk to Emma."

Ororo reluctantly releases her hand. "I'm here for you….and for Emma too." She takes a deep breath. "I'm here for both of you." Jean smiles and heads toward the door.

"Thanks Ro." She says as she leaves.

Ororo lowers her head and traces her lips with her index finger. She'd pulled her feelings away from Jean, just in time. The redhead wasn't the only one who needed to control her feelings that day.

**TBC…**


	7. True Queen

**Title: **The True Queen

**Fandom:** X-Men Universe comics / movies

**Pairing:** Emma F. / Ororo M. / Jean G.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Notes:** Everyone has an alter-ego, even Emma Frost.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I do love them.

* * *

**Emma Frost's Apartment**

The blonde sits alone in the easy chair in the corner of her and Jean's bedroom, sipping a Tom Collins.

She looks out the window towards Ororo's greenhouse. Jean hadn't left yet. The blonde sat back in the chair and closed her eyes. She immediately reopened them having seen a flash of Ororo's lips against her own. Sure it was chaste, but having her arms around her caramel team leader's waist on the small of her back, the woman's full naturally firm bosom pressed against her and her strikingly blue eyes rivaling her own was causing the blonde's mind to stray.

She sat her drink down on the side table taking a deep breath as she thinks of her partner. "There's no way they haven't been intimate. There's just no way. I'm sure it wasn't recent though." The blonde shakes her head as she looks out the window. "It's too bad I met you under such challenging conditions Ororo, you would have made a lovely Black Queen."

She takes a deep breath as she sees Jean finally leaving the greenhouse. "I can't believe you would embarrass me like that. Thank goodness this school is private. If this got out I'd be a laughing stock. Pathetic, one woman making me lose myself like this. When I was with Hellfire I handled 10 women at a time without breaking a sweat. A few months with Jean Grey and one week with Ororo Munroe and I'm suddenly a 9 year old. It's disgusting."

Emma was feeling sick, emotionally. Little by little these women were tearing down walls she had spent years meticulously building to keep people out as well as to keep herself in check. The blonde didn't like it. She found herself feeling like a cornered animal. And even though she and Jean were both women, she felt emasculated. Old feelings and thoughts began to arise as she felt her girlfriend get closer and closer to their apartment. She remembered how she dealt with women who didn't know their place in the Hellfire Club. Something all too familiar began to surface within her. Something she thought she had buried. Emma Frost didn't do vulnerable very well. This was a new kind of pain she'd never felt before.

The blonde finished off her drink in one swig slamming the glass back down on the table then quickly grabbing the bottle from the liquor cabinet and pouring another. This time she drank the gin straight and took a slow deep breath trying to suppress the fear and pain that grew within her. She trembled.

She put the bottle away and waited for her girlfriend as an intense heat began to burn within her it was so hot that it was cold. Anger, rage, control, and passion swirled within her mind. She rapidly blinked her eyes as crystal began to cover them and retract involuntarily. She began feeling less and less like herself.

The blonde stood to her feet as she heard Jean's key in the door. Something didn't feel right. She felt like she was losing control of herself. Her heart ached intensely like it was pumping acid. Thoughts of Ororo and Jean laughing at her as she sang filled her mind.

"No." The blonde whispered as Jean walked through the door. Emma felt herself suddenly lose consciousness as her eyes crystallized.

A devilish smile appeared on the blonde's face as she took slow deep breaths.

* * *

"Em, baby? I know you're mad at me. I'm sorry, I know what I did was wrong." She silently laughs to herself as she nears the bedroom. "It turns out being telepathic isn't all it's cracked up to be. Ro told me something that I didn't…" The redhead pauses and looks around the bedroom.

"Em, are you in here?" She asks as she walks to the bathroom and sees it's empty. She could have sworn she felt the blonde a few minutes ago. She's startled as she backs up and turns around bumping into her partner.

The redhead puts her hand to her heart she really hadn't sensed her there. "God! Em, you scared the crap out of me. Where were you?" She asks as the blonde moves her face close to hers and takes in a long breath through her nose smiling deviously.

The blonde stands to her full height staring into Jean's eyes.

"Em, what's with your eyes why are they crystallized? Are you trying a new look?" The redhead asks apprehensively, still not sensing her girlfriend, though she was standing right there in front of her.

"Goddess." The blonde says still smiling. Jean furrows her brow. "Huh, are you talking about Ro?"

She crystallizes her hand and tightly grabs Jean's throat. "You….will call me Goddess." She says slowly moving her face closer to the redhead's.

"Em, what's the mat…" Jean tries to get out as Emma begins to choke her, she grabs her wrist trying to pull her hand away.

"You've been a naughty, naughty girl haven't you? You seem to have forgotten who the Mistress is. Don't worry, I'll remind you." She says darkly pulling her frightened girlfriend into a searing kiss. Jean moans into the kiss until she feels Emma biting down hard on her tongue drawing blood.

She telekinetically pushes her girlfriend off of her slamming her body against the opposite wall. "Fuck Emma, what the hell is wrong with you?" Jean mumbles covering her mouth.

The blonde stands to her feet smirking as her eyes travel up the redhead's body. She steps toward Jean into a psionic wall. "Be a good girl and take down this wall sugar, you don't want to make things worse on yourself do you?" She says placing both hands on the wall staring into emerald eyes.

"Emma, baby, I know you like to play games but this is taking to too far." Jean says as Emma begins to frown.

"Don't make me repeat myself." She says sternly. Jean shakes her head no and stares into her girlfriend's crystallized eyes.

~ Emma, I can't sense you. Why aren't you letting me in? What's happened to…. ~ Jean whispers pausing as the blonde begins to hum.

The blonde's throat crystallizes as she begins to sing. Jean smiles at first then her face becomes lethargic the more she listens. The psionic wall drops and the freed blonde walks toward her swaying prey. She whistles into Jean's ear. She steps back shaking her head breathing heavily. "What did you… Who are you?" Jean asks genuinely frightened.

"You seem to be rather slow-minded. I am your Mistress, but you will call me Goddess. We're going to have a lot of fun together, you and I, but first you need to learn some manners."

* * *

Emma and Jean both missed their team meetings that weekend. Everyone who knocked on their door figured the couple was just catching up on time they had spent away from one another.

Ororo stopped Bobby after their team meeting. "Have you seen Emma today?"

Iceman laughed. "You're kidding right. Everyone knows where she is."

"Where is she Robert?" She asked genuinely unaware. She'd tried to contact Jean a few days ago and figured the couple was making up.

Bobby smirked. "She's balls deep enjoying 50 shades of Jean Grey. Just go by Frost's apartment everyone else has."

Ororo blinked rapidly and made her way up the staircase toward the faculty apartments. She could hear moaning halfway down the hallway the closer she got to Emma's door. She shooed away a few students who were outside the blonde's apartment.

It had been four days. Professor Xavier told her that both Jean and Emma had telepathically requested a few days off to work out some personal issues. Ororo felt intense pain as she raised her fist to knock on the door.

The caramel woman mentally reached out to both Jean and Emma and got no response. There was something wrong, she could feel it. She took a deep breath as her eyes clouded over and a quiet pulse of lightning struck the door from her hand and she walked inside.

The smell of blood and sweat assaulted her nose as she walked into the living room. She closed the door behind her. "Jean…..Emma, it's me Ororo. Is everything alright?" She could feel that it clearly wasn't. Their bedroom door was open. Her jaw fell to the floor seeing Jean bound, gagged, and bloody, chained to the wall above the bed.

The caramel woman didn't move though. Being a master tactician she knew the assailant was there. "Emma. You didn't make it to the team meeting today. It's not like you to miss an appointment." She says coolly.

The white haired woman remains still as she hears a voice behind her. "Is that so?" The blonde says stepping around Ororo as she walks toward the bedroom.

** Jean, its Ro. Can you hear me? ** Storm tries to communicate with the chained up redhead.

The blonde smirks. "She can't hear you. Mine is the only voice she can hear now. I am her Mistress. Isn't that right Jean?" She says as the redhead lifts her head mumbling as saliva drips from the ball gag in her mouth. "That's a good girl."

Ororo stares into Jean's eyes as they suddenly flash golden and the redhead sends her a telepathic message.

The blonde smiles cocking her head slightly. "Oh that's new. You're eyes have never changed color before. Do it again lover." She says cracking the whip in her hand. The window suddenly flies open as the blonde turns around to be greeted by a lightning bolt to the chest courtesy of Ororo.

The blonde crashes into the wall unconscious. Jean shakes her head as she begins telekinetically removing the screws and chains from her neck, wrists, and ankles. She left the gag in knowing she would scream. She lowers her blooded body to the bed as Ororo runs to her side. "Jean what happened here."

The redhead looks over to her girlfriend and passes out.

* * *

Both Jean and Emma awaken in the medical bay. The blonde is completely restrained including her throat and mouth.

Ororo holds the redhead's hand as they both look at a wide eyed panting Emma whose breathing through her nose.

~ _Tiger what the hell is going on here? Why am I restrained?_ ~ The blonde asks telepathically.

"You tell me Emma." Jean says cynically as her partner furrows her brow.

_~ Take this gag off of me._ ~ Emma says.

"I'm afraid we can't that just yet Emma. We don't know what exactly happened to you two over the last week." Professor Xavier tells her from the other side of the medical bay.

~ _What do you mean what happened us? Tell me what's going on. Start from the beginning._ ~ Emma says watching Jean move closer to Ororo squeezing her hand tighter as she turns her face into her shoulder.

The blonde locks eyes with Ororo.

~ _What did I do?_ ~ She asks speaking only to her team leader.

** You tortured her and sexually assaulted her for four days. **

Emma looks over at Jean and quickly closes her eyes as they well with tears. Ororo taps Jean and nods her chin toward Emma as Jean stares at her shivering partner.

~ _Did you... _~ The blonde asks trying to keep her body from trembling attempting to hold back her tears.

**Yes** Storm says.

A tear falls from the blonde's eye.

_~ Thank….you_ ~ She mentally whispers with her eyes tightly closed. A muffled moan escapes from the metallic fiber gag over her mouth.

Jean can't help but reach seeing her lover in so much pain. Emma tries to jerk her body away from Jean's hand.

_~ Don't touch me Tiger._ ~ Emma whispers.

"Professor, take the gag off." Jean says as he turns to look at Hank.

"Jean if what you said was true about her voice, we can't risk her controlling the rest of us until we figure out what triggered her." Charles says to her with great concern.

"I don't know who that other woman was, but it wasn't Emma. Please unlock the restraints." Jean cups the trembling blonde's cheek as Emma turns her face away. "It'll be fine. She's back. Can you all give us some time alone please?" She stares into her lover's watery eyes. "You won't hurt me, right baby?"

Emma shakes her head.

_~ Never._ ~ The blonde says seeing Jean smile through her tears.

"Alright, we'll be in the next room."

_~**~ If anything happens, press that button on the bio-bed immediately. ~**~ _Charles says telepathically to Jean who nods at him, never taking her eyes off her partner as the restraints are released.

Ororo is the last one to leave the room. She takes a deep breath as the doors close behind her. She leans against the wall going over everything she had seen in her mind. A thought hit her like a ton of bricks. Perhaps she really had been too hard on Emma, what if she's the one who caused the blonde to snap. But then why was all her anger directed at Jean. The blonde could have easily gotten the drop on her as soon as she walked into the room. The woman was like a ghost. She doubted even Logan could have detected her.

Her trust building exercises couldn't have affected the blonde so harshly. She was stronger than that wasn't she. Had she been misreading the blonde all this time? Was she responsible for what happened to Jean?

**Back inside the medical bay**

"I'll understand if you don't want to see me anymore. You deserve some…" The blonde is interrupted as Jean brings their lips together. Emma quickly pulls away. "Jean how can you stand to be near me after what happened?"

The redhead smiles keeping her hand on her girlfriend's cheek. "There are a few very important reasons. First, I love you Emma Frost, all of you. You have me, through thick and thin, you're stuck with me. Second, we apparently have more in common than I realized and if you can deal with a angry cosmic flamed entity, I'd be a pretty sucky girlfriend if I couldn't handle whatever you have going on. Third, as new as this relationship is, I know you well enough to know that that wasn't you. Finally, I love you."

Emma closes her eyes as more tears fall.

"So who did I have the displeasure of getting acquainted with these last few days?" The redhead says easing her body onto the bio bed next to her partner. She winces slightly as one of the stitches on her wrist breaks.

"Jean don't move, let me go get Hank." Emma says as her girlfriend telekinetically stops her. "I'm fine Em. Answer my question."

The blonde sighs taking a deep breath as she looks down at the wounds on her girlfriend's wrists and hands. "I came to call her the 'True Queen'. She's the byproduct of years of emotional detachment." Emma closes her eyes as she continues. This was a part of herself she never thought she'd ever have to share with Jean. But the cat was out of the bag now.

This 'True Queen' was how she had risen up the ranks of the Hellfire Club. She had been privy to every type of sexually depraved act known to man, but there were times when it was too much even for her.

"The first time she appeared was during a particularly rough session in my club. I was overwhelmed, and involuntarily lost consciousness. My subconscious took over. I regained consciousness two weeks later. Everyone in the room was either dead or fatally injured. I have a very high threshold for pain, but when I can't take anymore she….I…." She takes a hard deep breath as a few more tears fall. "Please forgive me Jean."

The redhead furrows her brow as she lifts the blonde's chin with her index finger. "I don't understand baby, did someone hurt you before I got to the apartment." Emma breaks their eye contact, not wanting to admit her weakness at that very moment.

She sighs, knowing what happened before she lost consciousness, but she couldn't say the words. It hurt too much and was embarrassing to admit.

_~ I'm listening Em._ ~

The blonde is surprised hearing her lover's voice in her mind. All at once she felt like a child again wanting to feel the warmth of Jean's embrace.

* * *

She moves closer to her and the redhead takes her into her arms. Emma takes a deep breath as Jean drops her mental walls.

~ _These interactions with you and Ororo have been more taxing on me than I realized. When I saw you walking from her greenhouse that day I got…confused. Feeling all of these old emotions so suddenly put me in intense emotional and physical pain like I had never felt before_. ~

Jean caresses the blonde's head.

~_The last thought I had was…of you and Ororo laughing… at me._ ~

Jean interjects.

_~ Baby we didn't ….~_

Emma shakes her head.

_~ I know. I said I was confused alright. I also wasn't happy about you checking up on me either._ _That's likely why she….why my attention was focused on you when you came home. _~ The blonde sighs feeling herself about to cry again.

~ _Baby look at me, come on…look at me. ~_ Jean coos as she finally looks into her eyes.

_~ I'm alright, okay. That wasn't you. I know it wasn't. I couldn't hear or sense you, the entire time. I know the difference, believe me. Now with that being said you know what this means don't you…_~ The redhead says as Emma furrows her brow.

_~ You'll need to start sharing your feelings more, so that this doesn't happen again. ~_

"Jean I'll be fine. This was just…." She pauses staring at her lover's wounded body.

"Baby one thing I love about you is your honesty. Don't run away from this okay. I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere." The redhead says.

"Tiger, you're taking this way too nonchalantly. I tortured you for four days, why aren't you angry with me? How can you even stand to be in the same room with me? Am I still unconscious? Is all this happening in my mind?" The blonde asks genuinely.

Jean laughs as she cups her cheek. "No baby, this is real, I've got the scars to prove it." She takes a deep breath. "I…I just understand that's all. Although this is my first time being on the other side of this though. I finally know how everyone felt when I was being controlled. Not being able to reach me or help me." She stares into Emma's eyes. "Do you remember anything that happened?"

Emma shakes her head no. "I never have. I've been told what happened by the people who watched or those who survived. She's everything that I hate, but some of what I love about myself too. I'm so sorry Tiger." Jean smiles and gently pecks her lips against hers.

"I'm not. This might sound odd but I feel like this is a good thing. I think this will bring us closer than we've ever been, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not meet her again anytime soon. So I want you to start meeting Ro for counseling." Emma shakes her head.

"No, no Jean, it's enough that the woman is my team leader, I don't need her in my head anymore than she already is. I mean look at what's already happened." The blonde protested.

"Yes but that wasn't her fault. You said it yourself that your anger was directed at me right. And she didn't do anything to Ro when she came into the room. You've got to start dealing with your feelings toward her. Anyway Ororo Munroe, is the top ranked counselor in the entire northern hemisphere and my girlfriend deserves only the best. Now, I don't want to hear anymore about it. Besides…" The redhead telekinetically pushes the blonde down onto the bio bed and puts her hand around her throat. Her breath is hot against Emma's face.

"If the 'True Queen' rears her head again she'll find out which one of us is in charge the hard way. 'The other me' seems to like her. I've been in some tough spots before, but she..." Jean pauses thinking of the Phoenix. "...has never let things go that far. Ro told me that she saw her for a second. That's how she was able to free me." Jean says as she telepathically sends a message to Ororo and gets off of her partner.

"Wait Tiger do we need to do this right now?" Emma asks feeling vulnerable right at that moment as Ororo walked through the doors.

"Yes Em. We have to strike the iron while it's hot."

"Wait, what about you? Where are you going?" Emma asks.

"I'll just be in the next room, letting Hank finish patching me up. I love you baby."

The redhead rubs Ororo's arm as she leaves the room. "Take it easy on her Ro."

Emma looks at her out of the side of her eye as she sits up on the bio bed then looks away to the table on the other side of the bed.

Storm takes a deep breath slowly walking over to her teammate. She wasn't feeling like herself. "How are you feeling? I hope I didn't injure you too much."

Emma takes a deep breath. "I'm alright. Thank you for saving Jean." She says still looking away from her.

**TBC….**


	8. A Thin Line

**Title: **A Thin Line

**Fandom:** X-Men Universe comics / movies

**Pairing:** Emma F. / Ororo M. / Jean G.

**Rating:** PG-13

**Notes:** PM me your thoughts on this chapter. I was going for something specific. I wonder if people are picking up on it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own these characters, but I do love them.

* * *

"Don't thank me." Ororo says as she moves toward Emma slowly.

The blonde glances at her team leader for a moment then turns her eyes back to the side table next to the bio bed. She understood that her girlfriend wanted to help her but all this openness was still new and uncomfortable in spite of getting to know her would be therapist.

No one but Jean Grey knew who the real Emma Frost was and that was only because the blonde decided to share her consciousness with the redhead. She'd never met anyone like Jean, someone who wouldn't give up on her. Jean Grey showed her what it was like to love someone unconditionally.

From childhood Emma had only known conditional love. Do this for me and I will do this for you. That was all she knew. As detrimental as it was, it was perfect for her business because there was no emotional attachment involved. It was one of the many reasons she'd done so well in the corporate world.

The only reason to get to know someone beyond the surface level was for self-preservation. At least that's what her experience had taught her. Even though she'd already shared some very personal information with Ororo, it wasn't anything that she couldn't wipe from the woman's mind if given the opportunity if she felt her silver haired team leader posed a threat to her.

In the blonde's mind she only needed one person by her side and she had found her. No one else was necessary.

Ororo swallowed hard as she approached Emma's bedside. For the first time in a long time, she wasn't sure of what to say being plagued with the thought that she had caused the blonde's breakdown.

Emma sighs. "Look Ororo, I'm only going through with this to appease Jean. You don't need to…"

Storm interrupts her. "Emma I'd like to ask for your forgiveness." The blonde shakes her head as she stares at a suddenly downcast weather goddess.

"What?" Emma says with a furrowed brow.

Her team leader takes a deep breath and meets her eyes. "It seems that I overstepped my bounds with your training. I didn't sense that you were at such a volatile point emotionally. Nor was I aware that you and Jean had such a relationship. Had I known I would have done things differently. Forgive me for…"

The blonde scoffs at her. "You think you're the reason I did this to Jean? Please…get over yourself. It had nothing to do with you. It's a personal matter. Look, I'm fine alright. This isn't necessary. I just need a few days to myself to go over what happened. You can be on your way."

Ororo stares into her eyes taking in a deep breath through her nose. She places her hand on Emma's. "I'm sorry. I truly am." The blonde pulls her hand away.

"I told you this wasn't your fault." She says as Ororo cups her cheek softly. Emma moves her face away. "What are doing Ororo? What part of 'I'm fine' do you not understand?"

The caramel woman puts her hand back down on her lap as she tries to find the blonde's eyes again speaking calmly.

"Emma, you raped, beat, chained, shackled, and tortured someone you say you love for four days. I didn't realize I had pushed you so far emotionally."

Emma swallows hard looking away from Ororo's soft azure blue eyes as her own begin to well with tears. "Look, you wouldn't understand alright. You couldn't. It wasn't you Ororo. You didn't cause this." She takes harsh raspy breath and stares into the palms of her hands blankly. "I…I…I would never hurt Jean. Never."

"But you did." Storm says taking the blonde's hand. "Help me understand. What made you do this? What's to keep this from happening again?"

Emma closes her eyes. "It won't. I'll make sure of it." She says as her breath gets heavy and her chest falls and rises a bit quicker.

Ororo suddenly bombards her with questions. "How are you going to do that? Do you know what brought it on? What if it's not Jean next time? What if there is no one there to stop you? What if…?"

Emma shakes her head. "Stop. Stop talking! I said shut up! Just…stop…" She yells her blue eyes piercing her team leader's. Storm cups the blonde's cheek again. "Emma if you can look me in the eye and tell me that you are alright with what happened, then I will leave and we won't discuss this ever again." The blonde looks away.

"Look at me Emma." She finds her watery eyes. "I don't know what happened to you, but I know that I trust you. I've trusted you since I first met you." Ororo smiles. "You just had to learn to trust yourself. You're not alone anymore, remember. You're also not the only one on this team who's ever needed help with her emotions. They didn't start calling me Storm because I can control the weather."

The blonde takes a deep breath as a few tears streak down her face gazing into Ororo's eyes. She opens her mouth to speak as Storm brings their foreheads together softly. Emma's body trembles as she closes her eyes listening to the caramel woman's soft voice. "I'm here for you, even if it's just to listen alright. It doesn't need to be today; whenever you are ready you know where I'll be." She sits up and kisses Emma's forehead as she stands up from the bio-bed.

She turns to leave and hears the blonde softly whisper. "Thank you." She quietly leaves to medical bay.

Jean is just outside the doors. "How is she?"

Ororo smiles softly. "She'll speak with me when she's ready." She looks into her friend's emerald green eyes. "I should have listened to you."

Jean cups her best friend's cheek. "Ro, this isn't your fault, you know that right. It's no one's fault. I didn't ask to get possessed, but it happened. If we can make it through that, we can make it through anything." She says with a gentle smile as she kisses her on the cheek.

* * *

Ororo heads back to her greenhouse. She had a lot to think about. The weather goddess was sure Emma would come to her in time. And even though both women told her it wasn't her fault, she knew she played her part.

In truth she didn't know what happened to Emma. All she knew was what the blonde had done to her best friend. She obviously wasn't in her right mind to have treated Jean that way. Truthfully Storm thought she seemed like the same woman she'd always known when she walked into their apartment that day, save for her eyes.

It wasn't until Jean awakened in the medical bay and explained what Emma did to her, that Ororo realized she might have pushed her too far.

She knew all too well what it was like to be pushed too far. When she first came to the institute it was a shock to say the least.

Jean pushed her over the edge that first six months constantly reading her mind. They couldn't even have conversations, because the redhead would finish her sentences. Just like Emma the professor had put Ororo under her watch. One day they had an intense argument. Ororo tried to explain to the redhead the effects her telepathy was having on her emotionally, but she wouldn't listen.

Ororo had had enough of having another voice in her head. Let's just say Hurricane Floyd should have been called Hurricane Ororo. The news reported that four people died that day. Ororo never forgave herself for losing control like that. She went to work controlling her emotions as well as training Jean to be more disciplined with her powers.

Storm knew Jean was a handful and that the couple had a 'colorful' love life, but downright torture that was something she didn't foresee. She never expected Emma to go as far as she did. The blonde was definitely suppressed emotionally but on the whole Ororo believed her self-control was almost on par with her own.

She sat in her garden going over the blonde's profile again, maybe she'd missed something. Considering everything Emma had been through in her life she was remarkably well adjusted. Jean had told her how kinky the blonde could be in bed, but what she walked in on was on a whole different level. Emma was taking pleasure in the pain Jean was in. Ororo was no stranger to rough sexual exploits but this was beyond that. She felt intense emotional and physical pain coming from Jean. Emma however was her typical closed off self. How could she be with the state her girlfriend was in? Her suspicion was confirmed when she saw her best friend's eyes flash an all too familiar amber gold.

That was yet another problem. Those eyes, she would never forget those eyes. The voice she heard wasn't Jean's either.

~* _Ah weather girl, perfect timing. My lover and I seem to be having some communication problems, would you be a dear and mediate for us. A bolt to the chest should do it._ * ~

This was all so confusing. All she knew was that she'd clearly crossed a line with the blonde. She wouldn't cross it again.

"Jean said that she didn't know who that woman was, that it wasn't Emma. What did she mean?" Ororo says scratching her head. "Perhaps Emma has a split personality similar to Jean's. That's the only thing that would make sense. Jean said Emma was different after she left my greenhouse." She sighs. "I shouldn't have pushed her into singing so soon after our session. She wasn't ready. Why couldn't I see it, why couldn't I sense it?"

Storm sits down staring at some of her night lilies, remembering when the blonde helped her retrieve the pollen from them. "Her voice… is so beautiful. She's so beautiful." The caramel woman traces her lips remembering the softness of the blonde's kiss.

At that moment she wished she was back home in Africa. She was practically a queen there, the medicine woman and savior of many villages. The white haired goddess had many lovers most of them women. It was normal for her to be physically affectionate with people in her village, many citizens even walked around naked. She realized how much she missed the freedom she felt there. America was a pit of suppression. As much as she despised Jean when she first got to know her there was no denying how attractive she found her to be, practically molesting the woman whenever she came near her. Of course it wasn't sexual at first, she mostly just wanted to help the redhead understand her feelings and physical contact was the best way she knew to convey those feelings.

Emma responded very well to her touch in spite of her feigned aloofness. She could feel a depth of emotion in the blonde that rivaled her own. Underneath Emma's cold persona was an empathetic soul, she could feel it, especially when the woman cried. Ororo could see it clearly, she was sure Jean could too otherwise she wouldn't have fallen for her the way she had.

She wished she could talk to the blonde sooner rather than later. She wanted to hold her, touch her, hear her voice. When she touched the blonde, she felt a bit like home.

An hour later she receives a phone call. It was Jean.

"Hey Ro. Em is resting. She's taking the day off tomorrow and wanted to know what your schedule looked like."

Ororo smiled and took a deep breath, putting her hand to her heart. She would have the opportunity to make amends.

**TBC…**


End file.
